Cabin Fever
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: A Goldeen, a beachfront cabin, and a full moon make for an interesting evening for two couples in this Pokeshippy/Eldershippy bit of fluff.
1. Chapter 1

"There it is, guys!" Ash pointed to the small white cabin sitting on the beach up ahead. 

"Ash, are you sure it's okay for us to use Professor Oak's cabin? Don't you think we should've asked him first?" said Misty.

"Don't worry, Misty. He gave me the key and said that we could use it anytime we want. Last one to the cabin is a rotten egg!" Ash and Pikachu broke into a run. 

"Wait for me!" Misty cried. 

"And don't forget about me!" said Brock as he sprinted across the sand to catch up with his friends.

When the three reached the cabin's front steps, Ash pulled the key out of his pocket and opened the door.

"Oh, this is nice," said Misty as she put Togepi down in the spacious living room.

"I'll get dinner going," said Brock, heading for the kitchen.

Ash plopped down into one of the overstuffed chairs sitting next to the fireplace. "Professor Oak sure does have a nice place, huh, Misty?" 

"He sure does. But still, I think we should've asked him before we came here," Misty replied.

"Quit being a worrywart, Misty. He said we could use the cabin anytime we liked. Besides, it's not as if he comes here every weekend."

"Are you sure, Ash? I'd hate to have him get angry with us."

"Oh, stop worrying, Misty. Why don't we go see what the rest of the place looks like?" The two headed down the hallway. Misty opened the first door on the left.

"There are two beds in this bedroom," she announced.

"And this must be Professor Oak's bedroom," said Ash as he opened the door across the hallway. "There's just one big bed here."

"Good. Because this is where I'm sleeping tonight," Misty said, plopping onto the wide double bed.

"Hey, that's no fair! How come you get the big bed?" Ash whined.

"Because I'm the only girl," Misty replied. "You two boys can share the other bedroom."

Grumbling, Ash kicked open the closet door and noticed a fuzzy garment that was lying on the floor inside it. "Hey, Misty, it looks like Professor Oak left his something the last time he was here." 

"What is it, Ash?" 

"Dunno." He held up the garment to his chest. "Looks like a sweater."

"Pink isn't your color, Ash." 

Startled, Ash whirled around and saw Brock grinning at him from the doorway. "Geez, Brock! You shouldn't sneak up on a guy like that."

"Sorry. What are you doing, Ash? Trying on some of Misty's clothes?"

Misty stifled a giggle.

"No, Brock," Ash replied huffily. "I found it in Professor Oak's closet. He must've left it here."

Brock took the pink sweater from his friend. "Um, Ash, I don't think this is Professor Oak's."

"What do you mean, Brock? Sure it is. I found it in Professor Oak's closet."

Brock tried hard not to laugh. "Ash, this is a _woman's_ sweater."

Ash's mouth fell open in disbelief. "No way!"

"That sly old dog," Brock grinned. "Professor Oak had a woman with him the last time he came up here."

"I didn't know Professor Oak even had a girlfriend," Misty said, taking the sweater from Brock. "I wonder who she is?"

"I thought he spent all his time in the lab," said Ash. "Where would he have time to meet a girl?"

"Maybe it's someone he works with," suggested Misty. 

"You mean, like Professor Ivy?" 

Ash quickly slapped his hand over his mouth, but it was too late. Brock was already lying in a fetal position on the floor, shaking. "T-t-t-that name…t-t-t-that name…"

"Now look what you did, big mouth," Misty scolded as she helped Brock up. "Are you okay, Brock?"

The color slowly returned to the boy's face. "I think so."

"Sorry, Brock," Ash apologized. "I should've known better than to say Professor…" 

Misty quickly slapped her hand over Ash's mouth. "Don't make the same mistake twice!" 

Brock picked up the pink sweater and studied it further. "Well, whoever it is, she has good taste in clothing." He scrunched up the garment in his face and breathed deeply. A dreamy expression appeared on the boy's face. "And she wears Sunflora Sunshine perfume."

"Maybe it's someone he knows, like someone in Pallet Town," Misty suggested. "Are there any women in Pallet Town that Professor Oak spends a lot of time with, Ash?"

"Other than my mom, no," Ash replied. 

Misty and Brock exchanged "a-ha" looks.

"Man, that's a tough one. I wonder who it could be?" said Ash, who was clearly stumped. He thought over the matter for a moment and then noticed that Brock and Misty were grinning at him. "Hey, why are you guys looking at me like that?"

"It's it obvious, Ash?" Misty said. "Your mom is Professor Oak's girlfriend."

Ash's mouth fell open in horror. "No…no way! My mom…Professor Oak…no way!"

"Well, you have to admit that they do spend a lot of time together," said Brock. "And this does look like one of her sweaters. And a woman who loves gardening as much as Mrs. Ketchum would likely wear a floral perfume like Sunflora Sunshine."

"The reason my mom and Professor Oak spend a lot of time together is because they're neighbors!" Ash replied hotly. "They like to travel together because it's cheaper to carpool, and that's the same reason they stay in the same hotel."

"Sure it is, Ash," Misty grinned.

"Will you two cut it out? My mom is _not_ dating Professor Oak!" Ash's face was growing redder and redder from a combination of embarrassment and anger.

"What's wrong with your mom dating Professor Oak?" asked Brock. "He seems like a pretty nice guy. And your mom's pretty nice herself." 

Misty noticed that Brock was blushing.

"It's not that," said Ash. "It's just that…that…she's my _mom_! Moms aren't supposed to do stuff like…like…"

"Like leave their sweaters in their boyfriend's bedrooms?" Brock teased, dangling the pink garment in Ash's face.

"Give me that!" Ash growled, snatching the sweater away from the older boy. "Come on, Pikachu. Let's get something to eat. I'm starving."

_To be continued…_


	2. Chapter 2

In the faint glow of the sunset, a couple could be seen making their way down to the beach.

"Careful, watch your step here. The rocks are slippery. Not to mention that we'll be losing our light soon."

Delia Ketchum smiled as her companion took her hand and helped lead her safely down the hill to the beach.

"So, is this the spot you told me about?" she asked as the two stepped onto the sand.

"This is it, Delia," Professor Oak smiled, surveying the area. "We'll be able to see everything from here."

Delia reached into her beach bag. "Then I'll put the blanket down here and we can sit back and relax."

"You know, not many people have witnessed the mating ritual of the Goldeen," he said as he helped her unfold the large plaid striped blanket. "It happens only during the first full moon in April."

"Then I'm honored, Professor," Delia grinned. "Although I'm wondering why you asked me to come with you and not Tracey."

"Because this is something best witnessed in the company of a member of the opposite sex. Particularly someone you care about," he smiled back. 

The two sat down on the blanket, side by side. 

"When will we start seeing the Goldeen?" Delia asked, scanning the surface of the ocean. 

"As soon as the sun sets," Samuel replied. "It won't be much longer now."

"Well, until then, why don't we have something to drink?" Delia reached inside her beach bag and, to her companion's surprise, produced a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses. "I thought we could use something to warm us up. It's starting to get a bit chilly." 

"Oh, I'm feeling pretty warm already," Samuel smiled, taking the glass of wine from his pretty companion. "What else is in that bag of yours?"

"You'll just have to wait and see," Delia said mischievously.

Samuel liked the sound of that.

--- 

"Brock, you always make the best soup…and sandwiches…and desserts…," Ash said while he was stuffing his face.

"So what do you guys want to do now?" Brock asked as he started to clear the dishes off of the table in the kitchen. "Play a game? Read a book?"

"Actually, I know exactly what I'm going to do," Misty replied, standing up. "I'm going for a walk on the beach. You guys know what tonight is, don't you?"

Ash and Brock exchanged puzzled looks.

"I can't believe you guys don't know what tonight is!" Misty cried. "Tonight's when the Goldeen have their mating ritual. It's the first full moon in April."

Ash and Brock continued to stare blankly at their friend.

"Oh, you guys!" Misty huffed. "It's only one of the most important events in the life cycle of water Pokémon. But then again, I guess only a _true_ water Pokémon trainer like me would remember that."

"Hey, what are you talking about, Misty? I have water Pokémon, too, you know!" Ash swallowed his last bite of food and jumped up from the table.

"Yes, but you're obviously not an expert on water Pokémon like I am," said Misty haughtily. "And I'm going to go down to the beach and let my Goldeen see if she can find a mate."

"You're going to let your Goldeen go, Misty?" Brock said, surprised.

"I've been thinking about this for a while, Brock. And I think Goldeen deserves to find a mate. So I'm going to let her go and find one, if that's what she wants."

"That's a pretty nice thing you're doing for your Goldeen, Misty," Ash said. "I remember how hard it was for me to let Butterfree go when he found a mate."

Misty selected the Poké ball from her belt that contained Goldeen. "So, do you guys want to come down to the beach with me?"

"I've got to do the dishes and finish cleaning up this place," replied Brock, seizing a dishtowel. "You guys go on ahead and maybe I'll catch up with you later."

"Do you want to come, Ash?" Misty asked.

"Yeah. I'd really like to see all those Goldeen," said Ash. "See you later, Brock."

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

"The sunset is so lovely tonight," Delia sighed. "All red and pink and orange. I think everyone should just stop whatever they're doing and go watch it."

"Like we're doing?" Samuel said, finishing his glass of wine. 

Delia nodded. "It's nice just being here with you. Sitting on the beach, drinking a glass of wine, and watching the sunset. Just relaxing and enjoying ourselves."

"We should do this more often, Delia," Samuel said, moving closer to her. "I really enjoy being with you."

"I enjoy being with you too, Samuel," Delia smiled. "It's certainly better than the last time we came to the beach, wasn't it?"

Samuel groaned. "Oh, don't remind me about that! I think half of Pallet Town still hasn't forgiven me for giving them food poisoning at the beach party last summer."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know that the potato salad you brought was over a year past the expiration date."

"But the rest of Pallet Town soon found out. People throwing up right and left…oh, that was awful."

Delia reached over and patted her friend's back comfortingly. "But we all recovered. And you were so nice to me when I was ill. You took me back to your beach cabin, let me rest in your bed, and even held the wastebasket while I threw up in it."

"Until I started throwing up, too." 

"And then I held the wastebasket for you. And afterwards we were both so wiped out from being sick that we fell asleep on your bed and didn't wake up until the next morning. That was when I lost my favorite pink sweater, remember? I must've misplaced it in between vomiting spells." 

"This year I'm going to stick with something safe, like potato chips…assuming Pallet Town even invites me back to the beach party."

"Oh, they will. Especially if I have something to say about it, they will." Delia kissed her friend softly on the cheek. "You know, sometimes I think about that night. Even though we were both so sick, it was nice having you lying there next to me."

"Same here, Delia." Samuel moved closer, intending to kiss her on the lips, when a loud splash made them both whirl around in surprise.

"Oh, look!" Delia cried. A large orange and white fish with a horn on its forehead leapt out of the water, did a graceful flip, then dived back into the ocean with a loud splash.

"That's a male Goldeen," Samuel said, pulling away from Delia and grabbing his binoculars. 

"How can you tell?"

"They're a little bit smaller than the females, although the horn on their forehead is larger. And their coloration is slightly brighter…look! There's a female now." He pointed to another Goldeen that had just surfaced. The fish Pokémon began to look around expectantly, then the first Goldeen suddenly appeared with a loud cry and did a flip in front of the female.

"The female chooses the male that can jump the highest because they're the strongest and most agile," Samuel explained, handing Delia the binoculars. 

Another male appeared and began leaping alongside the female Goldeen. The first male, seeing that he had competition, turned to face the interloper, then charged.

"What are they doing?" Delia asked.

"They're going to have a duel for the female," Samuel explained.

"A duel? What do you mean, Samuel?"

"Just watch, Delia. You'll see."

The first male waved the horn on its forehead threateningly in the direction of the second male. The second male charged back, and the two locked horns then traded blows in a manner reminiscent of two swordsmen fighting a duel.

"Oh! You're right, Samuel! It's like they are having a sword fight for the female. How romantic," Delia said.

The two Pokémon lunged at each other until the first Pokémon knocked the second one away with a sharp blow. The defeated male retreated and disappeared into the ocean. The female swam up to the victor and the two began swimming side by side. With a loud cry, the pair leapt up, somersaulted in unison, and then disappeared with a splash into the ocean.

"And now they'll mate," Samuel said. "And pretty soon they'll have Goldeen of their own."

"And they'll live happily ever after," Delia added. "Just like a fairy tale."

--- 

"Did you see that, Ash?" Misty said excitedly, pointing in the direction of the pair of Goldeen jumping in tandem in the distance.

"Yeah," replied Ash. "Are you gonna let your Goldeen go now?"

Misty nodded and threw her Poké ball. "Goldeen, I choose you!" With a bright flash, her fish Pokémon materialized in the water a few feet from the shore. It looked at its trainer expectantly, awaiting a command. 

Misty, gulping back the lump that was forming in her throat, waded into the chilly surf, bent down, and gave her Pokémon a hug. "Goldeen, it's time for you to find a male Goldeen to go mate with." She pointed to the pair of Pokémon frolicking in the distance. "And even though I'm going to miss you, I want you to be happy more than anything. So go on out there and find yourself a really nice boy Goldeen." Misty gave her Pokémon a kiss on its forehead and headed back to shore.

Confused, the Pokémon continued to stare at its trainer. "Goldeen?"

"Go on, Goldeen," Misty said, pointing at a male Goldeen that was leaping in the moonlight. "He looks like a nice one." 

Even though Goldeen didn't want to leave its trainer, it knew that it had to obey Misty's command. Reluctantly, it began to swim in the direction of the male Goldeen that was jumping so high that it was silhouetted against the moon.

"'Bye, Goldeen," Misty said, wiping away a tear.

Ash leaned over and gave his friend a hug. "Don't cry, Misty. I felt bad too when Butterfree left, but then when I saw how happy he was, I didn't feel so sad after that."

Misty sniffled and wiped her nose on the collar of Ash's jacket. "Thanks, Ash. That makes me feel a little bit better."

"Hey, look at that, Misty." Ash pointed in the direction of the male Goldeen frolicking in the moonlight. "Goldeen's trying to make friends with that other Goldeen."

The two friends watched as Misty's Goldeen approached the somersaulting male. Spying the unfamiliar female, it cautiously approached it. "Goldeen? Goldeen-goldeen?" 

"Goldeen," Misty's Pokémon replied.

The male then answered by shooting a stream of water into Goldeen's face. 

"Hey!" Misty shouted, shocked by the Pokémon's behavior. "What did you do that for?"

The male then turned and swam away from the sputtering female.

"I don't believe it! Why did he do such a mean thing like that to your Goldeen?" Ash said.

"That Pokémon's got some nerve!" Misty said angrily. "Don't worry about it, Goldeen. He looked like a jerk anyway!"

"Maybe this next one will be nicer," Ash said, pointing to another fish that was approaching Goldeen. But to his surprise, the second male did the same thing the first one did.

"Oh no!" Misty cried. "What's going on here?"


	4. Chapter 4

And around the bend, two other people were watching and wondering the same thing.

"What's going on, Samuel?" asked Delia, handing him back the binoculars. "Why are those Goldeen being so mean to that female?"

Samuel studied the scene through the binoculars. "She must not be a member of their school. Goldeen often reject others who aren't from the same area. Or perhaps she used to be a human-trained Pokémon at one time. Wild Pokémon are often jealous of human-trained ones and will attack them outright."

"Well, that shouldn't matter. Those males are being awfully mean to that female. If my Pokémon did that to another Pokémon, I'd give it a good talking to," Delia said angrily. "Those Pokémon need to learn some manners."

Samuel tried not to smile at the mental image of Delia having a tea party with several Goldeen in attendance. He could almost hear her instructing a Goldeen to say "please" and "thank you" and scolding it for putting its elbows (fins?) on the table.

--- 

Ash and Misty watched in disbelief as Goldeen was rejected a third and then a fourth time.

"Goldeen?" the confused Pokémon said as yet another male swam away from it.

"Man, poor Goldeen," Ash said. "None of the males are getting near her now."

"I can't take this anymore," Misty said, reaching for her Poké ball. "Goldeen!"

The Pokémon turned at the sound of its name and swam over to its trainer. The sight of the Pokémon's sad expression nearly broke Misty's heart. 

"I'm sorry, Goldeen," Misty said sadly. "This was all my fault. I never should've asked you to go out there with all those strange, mean Goldeen. Goldeen, return." Goldeen disappeared inside the Poké ball with a flash of red light. 

"It's not your fault, Misty," Ash said. "You were just trying to do what was best for your Pokémon."

Misty put the Poké ball back onto her belt. "Come on, Goldeen. Let's go back to the cabin."

--- 

"So did Goldeen find a boyfriend?" Brock asked as Misty and Ash opened the front door.

"No, she didn't!" Misty snapped. "Those Goldeen were awful to her! I'm going to bed!" Misty stomped down the hallway, went into one of the bedrooms, and slammed the door.

"Whoa…what happened?" Brock asked, stunned.

"All the other Goldeen didn't want to be around Misty's Goldeen. They kept rejecting her and doing mean things like shooting water in her face," Ash explained. 

"Poor Goldeen," Brock said, picking up a picture that had fallen off of the wall when Misty had slammed the door. "That must've been tough."

"Poor Misty," Ash said, staring at the door to Misty's bedroom. "I think it was tougher for her. I wish I could do something to make her feel better."

"Maybe you'd better let her sleep on it tonight, Ash," advised Brock. "Whenever I get rejected by a girl, a good night's sleep does wonders for making me feel better. Matter of fact, I think we could all use a good night's sleep tonight. We traveled a lot today."

Ash yawned and picked up his Pikachu. "Yeah, I guess so. But I wish I could think of a way to make Misty feel better."

"Pika-pi," the little yellow Pokemon agreed.

--- 

"Look!" Delia cried excitedly, grabbing her companion's arm. "There must be about a dozen of them out there now! Could I have the binoculars, please?" 

Samuel smiled and handed her the binoculars. He preferred to watch Delia instead of the fish, anyway. Watching her face light up with excitement at the sight of the acrobatics of the Goldeen had been the best part of the entire evening. That and her kissing him.

"It's almost like a ballet," Delia said, watching the numerous Goldeen leaping gracefully in the moonlight. "The Goldeen are doing pirouettes like dancers in a dance of love."

Samuel grinned at Delia's romantic description of the Goldeen's mating ritual. This evening was getting better and better.

"That's one reason why I built my cabin here. This particular beach is a popular mating area for many water-type Pokémon – not just Goldeen. Magkiarp, Horsea, and Tentacool also come here in droves to mate. I guess there must be something special about this area. Apparently it's an excellent place to find a mate."

"Now I'm beginning to understand why you brought me here," Delia grinned as she handed him back the binoculars. "Does this place also work on humans?"

"Well, let's find out." Samuel leaned over and kissed Delia softly on the lips.

Delia giggled and returned his kiss. "Evidently, it does."

And the Goldeen were momentarily forgotten.


	5. Chapter 5

"This has been such a wonderful evening," Delia sighed contentedly as she laid her head on Samuel's shoulder. 

"I've had a good time too," Samuel said as Delia snuggled against him. "Are you cold?"

"Just a little," Delia yawned. "But you're nice and warm."

"Much as I hate to say it, it's time for us to be getting back to Pallet Town. We've seen most of the Goldeen that we're going to see tonight." He looked at the luminous dial on his watch. "And it's nearly midnight."

"Do we have to go back?" Delia said, closing her eyes. "I'd rather stay here with you."

The feeling was mutual. "Well, my cabin is just a half-mile up the beach. If you'd rather, we could spend the night there and go back to Pallet Town tomorrow morning."

"I'd like that," Delia smiled.

After packing up their things, the couple strolled hand in hand up the beach. Neither one was in much of a hurry – they were taking their time to enjoy the moonlight, the gentle roar of the surf, and, most importantly, each other. They would stop occasionally to watch a lone Goldeen leaping up from the waves, hunt for constellations among the thousands of shimmering stars, or just to kiss…which was more enjoyable than any of the other previous activities.

Finally, the pair came to a small cabin at the edge of the ocean.

"Well, we're here," Samuel announced as he opened the front door and the pair stepped inside.

"It looks about the same as it did last time," Delia said as she turned on the lamp on the nearby table. "Not that I paid much attention to it last time I was here. I was so busy being sick that I didn't really care about how the place looked. All I wanted to do was lie down."

"Speaking of which, guess we'd better get some shut-eye," Samuel said, yawning. "The bedrooms are down the hall."

--- 

Misty awoke with a start. Someone was in the cabin and it didn't sound like Ash or Brock. Heart pounding with fear, Misty silently slid out of bed and put her ear to the bedroom door. It sounded as if the intruders were right outside the door.

"Well, I guess it's time to say good night," said a woman's voice. 

__

That sounds like Ash's mom, thought Misty as she pressed her ear closer to the wood.

"You can sleep in my bedroom, Delia. I'll take the bedroom across the hall," said a man's voice.

__

That's Professor Oak, Misty realized. _And Ash's mom._

"You don't have to do that, Samuel," said Delia, moving closer to him. "I want you to join me in the bedroom."

Misty's mouth fell open in disbelief. _Holy cow, Ash's mom really is Professor Oak's girlfriend._

Samuel's heart gave a great leap as Delia took his hand. "Delia? Are you sure?"

Delia then proceeded to kiss him in a way that removed all doubt from his mind. 

As the doorknob rattled, Misty quickly scurried into the closet and shut the door. If either Professor Oak or Mrs. Ketchum caught her eavesdropping on their conversation, she'd be in trouble for sure. They were probably already in trouble for staying at the cabin without telling Professor Oak.

__

I'm gonna kill you, Ash, Misty swore as the bedroom door opened.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this, Delia," Samuel said as he flipped on the light switch. 

Delia kissed him once more and began to pull him towards the bed in the middle of the room. "Samuel, this night with you has been so magical that I don't want it to end." 

"Wait. Let me do that," Samuel said eagerly, reaching for the buttons on Delia's sweater. 

Misty heard a soft thump that sounded like clothes hitting the floor. Through the crack in the closet door she saw a pink sweater and a white lab coat lying next to the door. And then, when she realized what was happening between Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum, Misty's face began turning crimson. The last thing in the world she wanted to do was be a witness to Professor Oak and Ash's mom having sex.

__

I'm really, really going to kill you, Ash. That is, assuming that Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum don't kill me first for spying on them.

But Misty was trapped - there was no way she could sneak out of the closet without being seen. And this situation was already embarrassing enough. 

"Delia, you're incredible. You're beautiful," Samuel sighed admiringly as Delia peeled off her shirt and tossed it onto the pile of clothing on the floor. "You don't know how long I've dreamed about seeing you like this."

"Well, you don't have to dream any longer, Samuel," Delia replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him seductively.

There was a creaking of bedsprings followed by the sound of more kissing. 

Misty shut her eyes tightly and put her hands over her ears. She couldn't take hearing any more of this.

__

You're dead meat, Ash.

"Oh darling…yes…" Delia's eyes suddenly shot wide open. "What th'…?"

Samuel looked up from kissing Delia's neck. "What's wrong, Delia? Are you all right?"

"I…it felt like something under the covers." Delia jumped as something moved underneath her. 

Samuel saw it, too. "What in the world?" He moved Delia aside and threw back the covers to reveal a small egg-like Pokémon underneath.

"Togepi?!" Samuel and Delia said in unison.

"Priii!" The Pokémon replied happily, bouncing up and down on the mattress.

"What in the world are you doing here, Togepi?" Samuel asked, surprised and somewhat shocked.

"But if Togepi is here, then where is Misty?" Delia asked, confused.

Togepi jumped off of the bed and opened the closet door to reveal Misty crouched inside.

Misty slowly opened an eye and saw a gaping Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum staring at her.

"Um…hi, Professor Oak…Mrs. Ketchum," Misty said.

Delia shrieked and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Professor Oak quickly snatched Delia's shirt off of the floor and threw it to her.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Oak," Misty explained, face burning with embarrassment. "Ash said that you said that we could stay at your cabin anytime we wanted, but I told him that we should've asked you first, but being the hardhead that he is he wouldn't listen to me, and…"

The door flew open and Brock, brandishing a broomstick, burst into the room. "Misty, are you okay? I heard screaming and…whoa!" Brock dropped the broomstick and stared at Delia, who was in the middle of putting her shirt back on. "Mrs. Ketchum, what are you doing…?" Then Brock saw Professor Oak standing next to Misty. "Professor Oak? What are the two of you doing here?"

"This is my cabin, Brock," Professor Oak replied irritably, upset at his romantic evening having been ruined. "What I want to know is why you kids are here."

"It's all his fault!" Misty said, pointing a finger at Ash, who had just appeared panting in the doorway. 

"Wha…what's going on?" Ash said, trying to catch his breath. He had heard the commotion all the way down the beach and had come running back to investigate.

"Ash, sweetie!" Delia went over to her son and gave him a hug. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you! Why didn't you let me know that you were here?"

"That's what I'd like to know," grumbled Professor Oak, retrieving his lab coat from the floor next to the bed.

Pikachu jumped into Delia's arms. "Oh, Pikachu! I'm happy to see you too!"

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu smiled, snuggling against Delia's bosom.

An envious Professor Oak glared at Pikachu, then at Ash. "Ash, I know I told you that you and your friends could use my cabin anytime, but I expected you to let me know exactly when."

"That's exactly what I told him, Professor Oak," Misty said. "But you know how Ash is."

"Where were you, Ash?" Brock asked. "When I got up, you weren't in the room."

"Pikachu and I couldn't sleep, so we went out for a walk on the other side of the beach," Ash explained. He had been racking his brains all night trying to figure out a way to help make Misty feel better.

"Ash, you should tell someone whenever you go out by yourself," Delia scolded. "What if something happened to you?"

"Something is going to happen to him in a moment," Misty glared, reaching for a mallet that was sitting in the corner of the closet.

"All right…all right," Professor Oak held up his hands, motioning for silence. "Let's calm down for a second and try to sort things out."

"Professor Oak, since this is your cabin, we'll go," Brock offered. "Misty's right. We should've asked before we camped out here."

"Yeah, Ash!" Misty glared at the boy in the doorway.

"But it's the middle of the night," Delia said. "It's too dangerous for you to be wandering around by yourselves."

"Mom, we've been out on our own for over a year now," Ash protested.

"But if you and Professor Oak want to be alone, we understand," Brock said with a wink in Professor Oak's direction. He had figured out what had been going on in the bedroom earlier. 

Both Delia and Samuel turned bright red.

"Professor Oak…alone…what are you talking about, Brock?" Ash said, confused.

"Never mind," Professor Oak said quickly. "Delia…Mrs.Ketchum and I will head back to Pallet Town. You kids were here first."

"Oh no, we don't want to put you out like that, Professor," Misty said, picking up Togepi. "You and Mrs. Ketchum stay. We'll go." 

"Wait. I have an idea," said Delia. "This cabin is big enough for five people. Why don't we all spend the night here? That way Ash and I can spend some quality time together." Ash responded by squirming out of his mother's embrace. 

Professor Oak's face fell. He had been hoping that he would've been the one spending some quality time with Delia that night. But since it appeared that there would be no further snuggling with Delia tonight, he figured that he didn't have anything further to lose.

"All right. You kids can stay," he reluctantly agreed. "That way Ash can spend some time with his mother and the rest of us can get some sleep."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Delia said happily. "Now my little pumpkin and I can get caught up on all his adventures."

"Uh, Mom…it's kind of late," Ash said, his face reddening. "Maybe we can talk in the morning."

"Oh, that's right. A growing boy like you needs to get plenty of rest," Delia said, patting her son's head affectionately. "All of you kids need to get plenty of sleep."

"Speaking of which, what are we going to do as far as sleeping arrangements?" asked Brock. 

"Professor, if you and Mrs. Ketchum want to stay in the same room," offered Misty, "I'll go sleep on the couch."

"Why would my mom and Professor Oak want to stay in the same room, Misty?" Ash asked, confused. "There's only one bed in here."

Delia and Samuel's faces reddened again. 

"Um, that's very nice of you, dear," Delia said, glancing uneasily at Ash. "But I think I'll go sleep on the couch. You were here first."

"You can have my bed, Mom," Ash offered. "I'll take the couch."

Brock, who had a crush on Mrs. Ketchum, stepped forward, grinning from ear to ear. "Sure, Mrs. Ketchum. You can stay in the other room with me. It would be my pleasure!"

With an annoyed expression, Professor Oak stepped between Delia and the lovestruck boy. "That's very nice of you, Brock, but I think Mrs. Ketchum would be better off in her own room."

Misty grabbed Brock's ear and began to drag him down the hall. "Come on, Romeo. You're sleeping on the couch tonight." 

"I have an idea," said Delia. "Since there are two women and three men and two bedrooms, why don't the women sleep in one room and the men in the other?"

"I guess that'll work," said Misty, releasing Brock's ear.

"That sounds fair to me," said Professor Oak. "Misty, you and Delia take the larger bedroom since you were there first. Ash, Brock, and I will take the bedroom across the hall."

"But there are only two beds in the other room, Professor," said Ash.

"We've got our sleeping bags," said Brock, rubbing his sore ear. "Professor Oak can take one of the beds, and one of us can sleep on the floor while the other one takes the remaining bed."

"But how are we going to decide who gets the other bed?" asked Ash.

"We'll flip for it," said Brock, producing a coin. "You call it, Ash."

"Okay. I call heads." 

The two boys watched as the coin flipped through the air, fell to the floor, and landed on its edge in a crack between one of the floorboards.

"So who wins?" asked Ash, staring at the upright coin.

Professor Oak sighed. "All right, I'll take the floor. You boys take the two beds. Let's just get some sleep."


	6. Chapter 6

"You can take the bed, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty offered. "I have my sleeping bag. Togepi and I will sleep on the floor."

"Oh, I hate to do that to you, Misty. You were here first. You take the bed," Delia said.

"Oh, it's no trouble, Mrs. Ketchum. Ash, Brock, and I almost always sleep in our sleeping bags."

"All the more reason for you to take the bed," Delia said, pushing the girl in the direction of the bed. "You need to sleep on a decent mattress once in a while. You'll ruin your back."

"Really, Mrs. Ketchum, I'm fine," Misty insisted. "Besides, after what happened earlier, I feel like I should make it up to you by letting you have the bed." Misty felt her face going red again. "And I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about overhearing what you and Professor Oak were…what you were doing."

Misty, her face now burning with embarrassment, quickly dived into her sleeping bag.

Delia knelt down and patted the girl's shoulder comfortingly. "Oh, Misty, don't worry. You didn't know that Samuel…Professor Oak and I were going to…you know."

Misty peeked out of her sleeping bag. "I didn't know that Professor Oak was your boyfriend, Mrs. Ketchum."

Delia smiled. "We've been friends for a long time, Misty. Sometimes when two people are good friends they fall in love."

"Are you in love with Professor Oak?"

Delia nodded and blushed. "We've been friends for so long that it kind up crept up on us. But tonight, when we were together on the beach under the full moon…" A dreamy look appeared in Delia's eyes.

"Uh…Mrs. Ketchum…maybe I shouldn't be hearing this."

Delia snapped out of her reverie. "Oh, nothing like…like what you saw happened. We were just sitting on the beach, talking. Just enjoying being with each other."

"Mrs. Ketchum, how did you know that you were in love with Professor Oak? I mean, how did you know that you liked him more than just as a friend?"

"Why do you ask, Misty?"

Misty's felt herself blushing. "Uh…no reason. Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business."

"It's all right, Misty." Delia sat down next to the girl. "Samuel…Professor Oak and I have been friends for a long time. At least once a day either I'd go over to his house to visit or he'd come over to my place just to talk. Matter of fact, I didn't realize how much I missed being with him until he went away for a few days on a trip to a scientific convention. I moped around the house, daydreaming about him the whole time until he came back."

Misty nodded. "Sometimes I feel that way when Ash…" Her face, which had almost returned to its normal color, started reddening again. "Uh…never mind."

Delia smiled. "Anyway, I think that's when I realized that I was feeling more than just friendship for him. Whenever it feels like part of your heart is gone when the other person isn't around, then that's love."

"Mrs. Ketchum, do you ever feel funny when you're around Professor Oak?"

"Funny? How so, Misty?"

"Well, kind of like there are Butterfrees flying around in your head and your heart whenever you think about the other person. You feel kind of sick, but you're really not."

Delia nodded knowingly. 

"And even though the other person sometimes drives you crazy because he's a big-mouthed show-off, you still can't help but thinking about them all the time," Misty continued.

Delia raised an eyebrow. "Anyone in particular, Misty?"

Misty wished she didn't blush so easily. "Uh, no one in particular, Mrs. Ketchum. Anyway…thanks. I don't really have a chance to talk to other women about things like this. I can't really talk to Ash and Brock about, you know, 'girl stuff' like this with them." 

Delia patted Misty's head comfortingly. "Well, you can talk to me anytime about 'girl stuff', okay?"

Misty smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum." 

"Anything else you'd like to talk about, Misty?" Delia asked. 

Misty thought for a second. "Mrs. Ketchum, how does it feel to kiss someone? Is it as nice as everyone says it is?"

Delia smiled and nodded. "Yes. And don't worry, Misty. You'll find out soon enough. Someday you'll meet a nice boy and see what it's like for yourself."

Misty sighed. "I sure hope so. Sometimes I think that I'm not pretty enough for any boy to pay attention to me. And sometimes he…they…ignore me."

"Oh, Misty, that's not true. You're a lovely young lady," Delia reassured her. "You have a nice face and lovely blue eyes and pretty red hair. Most boys would think you're quite pretty."

"Yeah, but…" Misty looked down at her chest uncomfortably.

"Is that what you're worried about, Misty? That boys don't pay attention to you because you haven't developed yet?"

Misty nodded.

"Misty, don't worry," Delia said, giving the girl a hug. "Things like that don't happen overnight. But it will happen, trust me. And besides, if a boy truly loves you, he's not going to care if you have a huge chest or have fifteen eyes in the middle of your forehead. He'll love you for what's on your inside – not your outside."

Misty giggled at the ridiculous image of herself with fifteen eyes. "I suppose you're right, Mrs. Ketchum. But I wish one boy in particular would pay more attention to me. That he would see me as more than just a friend because I sometimes feel that way about him."

"Misty, boys don't mature as fast as girls do. Sometimes it takes time for boys to catch up," Delia reassured her. 

Misty yawned. "I hope so."

"It's late. And we women need our beauty sleep." Delia tucked Misty into her sleeping bag. "Good night, Misty. And don't be afraid to come talk to me whenever you have something on your mind, all right?"

Misty nodded and closed her eyes. "Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum. Good night."

--- 

Professor Oak groaned as he rolled over and tried to get comfortable on the hardwood floor. Ash had loaned him his sleeping bag (which smelled like it needed a trip to the laundromat), but it didn't provide much padding for his aching back. Between that and Brock's talking in his sleep, Samuel knew that he wouldn't get any sleep if he stayed in the bedroom with the two boys. Leaving the sleeping bag behind, Professor Oak stood up, stretched out his sore back, and quietly opened the door, being careful not to awaken anyone.

"Mmm…Officer Jenny…arrest me…" Brock muttered as Professor Oak carefully shut the bedroom door behind him. 

He headed down the hallway to the living room couch. It probably wasn't much better for his back, but at least it was more comfortable than the hard floor. He stretched out on the cushions, pulled the quilt that was lying atop the sofa over him, and closed his eyes. He had just drifted off to sleep when a thump followed by a tickling on his nose brought him back to consciousness. Slowly opening his eyes, he found himself face to face with a furry yellow Pokémon with bright red cheeks.

"Pika," Pikachu said softly, peering curiously at the rumpled form lying on the couch.

"Sorry, Professor Oak," Ash apologized, scooping up his Pokémon off of Professor Oak's chest. "Pikachu had to go to the bathroom."

Professor Oak grunted sleepily, nodded, and shut his eyes.

"What are you doing out here, Professor?" Ash continued. "I thought you were going to sleep in the room with me and Brock."

Professor Oak opened his eyes and glanced at his watch, groaning when he saw that it was well after two AM. "I'm trying to get some sleep, Ash. With my bad back, I figured that I'd be more comfortable out here," the older man replied groggily. "Now why don't you and Pikachu head back to bed?"

"Um, okay," replied Ash.

"Good night." Professor Oak pulled up the quilt to his chin and shut his eyes. When he opened them again a minute later, he was surprised to see that Ash and his Pokémon were still standing over him. 

"Professor, since you're still awake, can I talk to you for a second?" the boy asked.

"Seeing as that you're not going to let me get any sleep with you standing there, I guess I don't have any choice." Professor Oak pushed the blanket aside and sat up. "What's on your mind, Ash?"

Ash sat down in the chair next to the couch. Pikachu curled up in his trainer's lap and started to doze off. 

"Professor, do you know why Goldeen would reject another Goldeen?"

Professor Oak couldn't believe that Ash was keeping him awake just to ask him that. "Ash, don't you think this question can wait until the morning?"

Ash shook his head. "Misty wanted to let her Goldeen go tonight to see if it could find a mate. Kind of like the same way I did with Butterfree. But when she did, all the other male Goldeen kept rejecting it and doing mean things to it like splashing water in its face."

"Splashing…Ash, are you saying that was Misty's Goldeen that the other males kept rejecting?"

"Yeah. Did you see it, too?"

Professor Oak nodded. "That explains everything, then."

"Explains what?"

"Ash, the reason that the wild Goldeen rejected Misty's Goldeen was because her Pokemon is human-trained. Wild Pokémon are jealous of human-trained ones."

"But my Butterfree didn't have a problem finding a mate among all the wild Butterfree. Well, maybe it did at first, but then they got along all right after that. Why didn't the Goldeen?"

"Because Goldeen also tend to reject unfamiliar ones that aren't members of the school they travel in."

Ash looked confused. "School? I didn't know Goldeen had to go to school."

Professor Oak sighed. Sometimes the boy took things a bit too literally. "Ash, school is just another term for the group that Goldeen travel in. Like a herd of Tauros or a flock of Pidgey."

"Ohhhh. So what you're saying is that the only way Misty can find a mate for her Goldeen is to find another one that's been trained by a human?"

"Well, there's no guarantee that even a human-trained Pokémon will accept another one. You can't force two Pokémon to fall in love – just like you can't force two people to fall in love, either."

"But you're saying that if someone did have a Goldeen that was trained by a human that it would be more likely to accept Misty's?"

"Yes, it's more likely that two human-trained Pokémon will be more receptive to mating with each other, but…"

"Thanks, Professor Oak!" Ash leapt out of his chair excitedly, dumping the sleeping Pikachu on the floor in the process. "Whoops. Sorry, buddy." Ash picked up his annoyed-looking Pokémon and turned back to the man on the couch. "Good night, Professor. Thanks for the advice."

But Professor Oak's eyes were closed. He had already fallen back to sleep sitting up.

"Come on, Pikachu," Ash whispered to his Pokémon. "We've got something to go do." 

A few moments later, Ash and his half-asleep Pikachu stood on the back porch overlooking the ocean.

"I don't seen any Goldeen, Pikachu," Ash said, scanning the horizon. "Maybe they've all gone."

A loud splash in the ocean below made Ash jump, and then he found himself face to face with a Goldeen.

"Goldeen," it said playfully as it did a somersault in front of the startled boy, then dived back into the ocean below.

"Wow! Did you see that, Pikachu? That Goldeen was right in my face!" Ash cried excitedly.

Another loud splash heralded the return of the same Goldeen. This time, the fish Pokémon leapt skyward until it was eye level with Pikachu, who was sitting on the deck railing.

"Goldeen," the fish Pokémon said as it smacked Pikachu in the face with its fin.

"Pikachu," the mouse Pokémon growled angrily. It knew that the Goldeen was taunting him.

"You want to get that Goldeen too, huh, Pikachu?" Ash said.

"Pika," the Pokémon nodded as sparks started flying from its cheeks.

"Come on then," Ash grinned. "It's time for a Pokémon battle!"


	7. Chapter 7

For a long time Misty lay in her sleeping bag staring at the ceiling and thinking about what Mrs. Ketchum had told her.

__

You're a lovely young lady. You have a nice face and lovely blue eyes and pretty red hair. Most boys would think you're quite pretty.

If a boy truly loves you, he's not going to care if you have a huge chest or have fifteen eyes in the middle of your forehead. He'll love you for what's on your inside – not your outside.

Whenever it feels like part of your heart is gone when the other person isn't around, then that's love.

Do I love Ash? Misty wondered. _I do get kind of a funny feeling around him sometimes, especially when he's in the middle of a battle. When I watch Ash battle, I feel like I'm part of him. I can feel his excitement, his joy – his happiness is my happiness, too. Sometimes I wish Ash would feel the same excitement over me the way he did about battling Pokémon._

And tonight, watching Goldeen hadn't helped things. 

__

Goldeen, I understand how you feel. It must hurt so much to be rejected by those other males. You just wanted someone to love you and they kept turning you down.

Misty sighed and carefully slid out of her sleeping bag, being careful not to awaken Togepi. 

__

Maybe some warm milk will help me fall asleep, she thought as she silently opened the door to the hallway and headed for the kitchen.

__

Now who in the world left the sliding glass door open, Misty thought when she saw the curtain billowing up on the other side of the living room. As she went over to close it, she heard a familiar voice coming from outside.

"Get him, Pikachu!"

__

Ash?

Misty stepped onto the back porch but was surprised to see that no one was there.

__

That's odd. I could've sworn I heard Ash.

Misty glanced out towards the ocean, but saw no one. 

__

Must've been my imagination.

As she stepped away from the rail, a loud splash made her heart jump. Racing back to the porch railing, Misty looked down and saw Ash on the beach below. 

"That's it, Pikachu! Get him!"

And in the surf below was Pikachu, who was struggling to hang onto one of the largest Goldeen that Misty had ever seen. 

"Now, Pikachu!" Ash commanded. "You've got him, so hit him with a Thundershock!" 

"Pi-ka-chu!!!!" The flash from the electric Pokémon's attack lit up the ocean.

The Goldeen, stunned by Pikachu's attack, writhed and flailed for a moment, then collapsed limply in the surf.

"Poké ball, go!" Ash cried, throwing a red and white ball at the fainted Goldeen. With a bright flash, the Goldeen disappeared inside the Poké ball. The boy jumped into the air and gave a whoop of delight. "All right! We got a Goldeen!" 

"Pikachu!" the yellow Pokémon cried excitedly as it swam back to shore with the red and white Poké ball in one of its paws.

"All right, Pikachu!" Ash laughed happily, taking the Poké ball from his friend and clipping it to his belt. "That was awesome!" Ash took off his jacket and used it to dry off Pikachu, who was starting to shiver from the cool ocean breeze. "Come on, buddy, let's get you back inside." Ash wrapped Pikachu in his jacket, picked him up in his arms, and the two headed for the steps that led up to the back porch. As he bounded up the steps two by two, Ash was so excited that he didn't think he would be able to go back to sleep. "Misty is going to be so surprised when…"

"When what, Ash?"

"Gahhh!" Ash screamed and nearly dropped Pikachu at the sight of the red-haired girl at the top of the steps. "Misty!" 

"Sorry, Ash," Misty apologized. "I saw that the sliding door was open and went out to investigate."

"You shouldn't sneak up on a guy like that, Misty!" With shaking legs, Ash put Pikachu down in a nearby chair and sank down in the adjacent wicker love seat. 

Misty sat down next to the trembling boy. "Are you okay, Ash? I didn't mean to scare you."

"I wasn't scared," Ash insisted as he tried to calm his racing heart. "Just surprised, that's all. What are you doing out here?"

"I couldn't sleep. I was going to go get a glass of warm milk when I saw that the door was open. Then I heard you and Pikachu down below on the beach. What were you two doing?"

"Pika," Pikachu said, pointing to the Poké ball on Ash's belt.

"Why were you having a Pokémon battle in the middle of the night? I know you like to battle, but this is getting a little carried away."

"It's…uh…" Ash removed the Poké ball from his belt and handed it to Misty. "It's for you."

"For me?" 

Ash nodded. "Pikachu and I caught you a Goldeen. Professor Oak said that the reason why those other Goldeen wouldn't mate with yours was because wild Pokémon don't get along with trainer-raised ones. So Pikachu and I caught a Goldeen so that yours would have one to mate with."

"Wow, Ash. I'm really surprised. I can't believe you went to all this trouble just for me."

"He's a pretty stubborn one. It was harder than I thought to capture it, but Pikachu got him with a Thunderbolt, didn't you?" Ash reached over and scratched his Pokémon's head affectionately. "He'll be a good match for your Goldeen once I get him trained." Ash took back the Poké ball and reattached it to his belt. "Unless you want to train it."

Misty smiled and shook her head. "No. You caught it. You keep it."

The two friends stared at the moonlight shimmering on the surf for a moment, then Misty spoke up again. "Ash, why did you go to all that trouble just to catch a Goldeen for me?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Guess it was because you were pretty upset before. And whenever you're upset, you make the rest of us miserable."

Misty's face fell. That wasn't exactly the answer she wanted to hear. 

"And I guess it's because I don't like seeing you sad either," Ash continued.

"I've been sad before, Ash. But why this time?"

"Why this time? What do you mean, Misty?"

"I mean that I've been sad before, Ash. But this is the first time you've gone way out of your way to make me feel better. You and Pikachu even went to all the trouble of having a Pokémon battle for me."

"A Pokémon battle is no trouble, Misty. Not for a Pokémon Master like me."

"Yeah, but you usually don't go to all the trouble to get me a Pokémon just to cheer me up. Why did you do it?"

Ash's face starting turning bright red. "I…uh…well…"

Ash didn't know why he had gone to all that trouble, either. It was as if something inside of him wouldn't let him get any peace until he made Misty happy again. And seeing that smile on her face and that look of pure joy in her eyes when he had told her that he had caught her a Goldeen had made his insides suddenly feel all warm and mushy. He had never felt like that before. Not that he minded – it felt pretty nice, actually.

"Uh…Ash?" 

The boy was staring dreamily out in space with a goofy grin on his face, not unlike the way Brock looked when he was around a pretty girl. 

"Ash?" Misty waved a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Ash…come in, Ash."

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Misty. I kinda spaced out for a moment. Must be the night air or something. Maybe we'd better get back inside."

"Actually, I'd like to stay out here for a couple of minutes." The pair fell silent as they gazed at the moonlight shimmering on the surf. Misty sighed dreamily. "I love hearing the waves breaking on the shore, the tangy smell of the ocean breeze, the moonlight shimmering on the waves." 

"You really do love the ocean, don't you, Misty?" 

The girl nodded. "Yeah. That goes along with being a water Pokémon trainer. I guess it's in my blood."

Ash studied his friend's face for a moment. "I can tell you really love it because you get that look in your eyes."

Misty turned to her friend in surprise. "Look? What look?"

"That dreamy look. Your eyes get all sparkly – just like the ocean. Matter of fact, your eyes kind of remind me of the ocean. They're pretty and blue and twinkly."

"That's a really nice thing to say, Ash," Misty smiled. "Thanks." She then noticed that Ash was shivering. "Are you cold?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders. "A little. But Pikachu needs my jacket more than I do." He nodded in the direction of his Pokémon, who was now sound asleep in the patio chair.

"Scoot a little closer to me," Misty said. "We'll stay warmer if we sit closer to each other."

As soon as his hip touched Misty's, Ash's heart jumped into his throat. 

"There. That's better, isn't it?" Misty smiled.

Ash's insides felt all warm and mushy again. "Yeah. It does feel better." The two stared out at the ocean once more. "You know, the moon looks really bright tonight. Kind of like the time when found the Clefairy and the Moon Stone."

"Yeah. Or like the night when we danced together at the festival. Remember?"

"Yeah. That was a pretty fun evening we had together. I really had a good time."

"So did I, Ash. We've had a lot of fun times together, haven't we?" 

"Yeah, Misty, we sure have."

"Ash, do you ever wonder what's going to happen to us?"

"What do you mean, Misty?"

"Well, someday you're going to be a Pokémon Master, and I'm going to be the world's greatest water Pokémon Master. Do you ever think about what's going to happen to us after then?"

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. Most of the time I'm thinking about my next badge. But I guess we'd still be together even if we both became Pokémon Masters."

"You think so?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. Why wouldn't we be together then? We've been together so long now that I can't imagine us not being together."

Misty, her face radiant with joy, turned to her friend. "Ash, I think that's the sweetest, most wonderful thing you've ever said to me." 

And before Ash knew what was happening, Misty was kissing him. At first he was too shocked to respond, but then his entire body began to feel tingly, kind of like how he felt whenever Pikachu zapped him with a Thunderbolt. 

"Are you okay, Ash?" Misty asked as their lips parted. 

Ash looked stunned. 

"Ash…say something." 

A wide-eyed Ash still didn't move.

Misty shook her friend's arm. "Ash, are you all right? Say something, please."

Ash finally recovered his voice. "I…uh…wow…I think my insides just melted."

Misty smiled. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm not so sure about that. I think there's a Machamp inside my chest trying to pound its way out."

Misty laid a hand on Ash's chest and felt the rapid thumping of the boy's heart against her palm. "Well, at least you're still alive, anyway." 

"That's good. Uh…hey, Misty. Could we try that again?"

"Try what again, Ash?"

"What we just did. You kissing me."

"Are you sure you're going to be all right, Ash?"

"Yeah. I'm sure." This time, Ash took the lead and drew Misty towards him. Their lips met once more and this time, Misty was the one who felt her insides melt.

"Wow, Ash…that was really…really nice." Misty whispered as their lips parted.

"You know, Misty, I don't feel so cold out here anymore," Ash grinned.

"Neither do I," Misty smiled back.


	8. Chapter 8

Professor Oak was awakened by the early morning sunshine streaming through the window. Groaning, he slowly opened his eyes. Even though the couch had been a significant improvement over the floor, he had had slept poorly most of the night. A faint breeze wafting in from the direction of the sliding glass door across the room made him shiver and brought him to further wakefulness. 

__

Now who in the world left the door open? 

Realizing that the cool breeze blowing in on him had been responsible for his poor night's sleep, Professor Oak stood up and made his way to the back porch. He started to slide the door shut and then caught sight of a red-haired girl asleep in the wicker love seat next to the door.

__

What in the world is Misty doing out here by herself? Professor Oak wondered as he stepped onto the deck.

Then he saw that Misty wasn't alone. 

Lying asleep next to her was Ash. His head was resting atop Misty's shoulder, and he was snoring softly. Misty's red head was pillowed atop Ash's, and her cheek was nestled in his unruly dark hair.

Professor Oak smiled when he saw that the two were holding hands. He went back inside to retrieve the quilt from the couch and spread it atop the sleeping couple, being careful not to awaken them.

__

Too bad I don't have a camera. Delia really ought to see this. 

Shivering slightly from the cool ocean breeze, he checked to make certain Ash and Misty were warm enough under the blanket, then went back inside to make a pot of hot tea.

Delia found him in the kitchen sipping a cup of chamomile tea when she awoke ten minutes later.

"Good morning, Samuel, did you sleep…"

Professor Oak held up a finger to his lips, then motioned for Delia to follow him. Curious, Delia followed him outside and smiled at the sight of her son and Misty asleep together on the back porch.

"Oh, that's so sweet," Delia whispered to her companion. "They look so cute together. I've got to go get my camera before they wake up." Delia went back inside and returned a moment later with a disposable camera. "I had it in my beach bag," she explained as she snapped a picture of the sleeping couple. Delia then reached down and tucked the blanket around Ash's chin. "Do you think they'll be warm enough out here?"

Professor Oak nodded. "They'll be warm enough under that quilt. And it looks like it's going to be a sunny day today. They'll be fine. Come on, let's go back inside and have some tea." Once back inside the cabin, he poured her a cup of tea and the two sat down on the couch.

"I always figured those two would get together someday," Delia said as she sipped her tea. "Misty's a sweet young lady. She'll be good for Ash. She has a crush on him, you know."

Samuel smiled. "And it looks like Ash feels the same way about Misty. When I found them there on the porch, they were holding hands."

"Oh, that's so sweet." Delia put down her cup of tea and snuggled against her friend. "Did you sleep well last night, Samuel?"

He shook his head. "Between Brock's talking in his sleep about Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy and that hard floor, I couldn't sleep in the same room with the two boys. I came out here to get some peace and quiet and Ash followed me out here."

"Ash followed you out here? Why?"

"He had a question about the Goldeen we saw last night. I don't remember all of it…I nodded off in the middle of our conversation."

"Poor baby," Delia said soothingly as she laid her head against his chest. Samuel wrapped his arms around her. "Why don't you just close your eyes and go back to sleep? I could use a few more winks myself."

Samuel yawned and cuddled Delia closer to him. "I was hoping that I'd be able to sleep with you while we were here."

Delia smiled and closed her eyes. "Me too. It's not exactly the way we planned it, but it's pretty nice just the same."

--- 

Ash awoke with a terrible crick in his neck. 

__

Oh man, my neck is killing…

He then saw that the reason why his neck hurt so much was because he was lying with his head on Misty's shoulder.

__

Whoa…how come Misty and I are out here? And where did this blanket come from?

Ash then realized that he and Misty were still holding hands.

__

Hey, how come we're…?

And then a smile spread over his face as he remembered.

Misty's eyelids fluttered open. "Mmmm…Ash…?" she muttered sleepily. 

"Hey, Misty. Did you sleep okay last night?"

"My neck's a little sore but…hey, where did the blanket come from?"

"I dunno. Looks like we've been asleep for a while. The sun's already up." Ash's stomach growled. "And it's time for breakfast, too." Ash reluctantly let go of Misty's hand, stood up, and stretched. "Come on, Misty. Let's go get something to eat."

Misty smiled as Ash held out his hand to her and helped her up. Ash picked up his sleeping Pikachu (who was still curled up in his trainer's jacket on the chair next to the love seat) and they all went inside to get some breakfast.

"I'm so hungry that I could eat a…whoa!" Ash's jaw dropped at the sight of his mother and Professor Oak curled up asleep together on the couch.

"Oh, that's so sweet," Misty said. "They look so cute together. I wish I had a camera."

Ash continued to stare at the sleeping couple. "Misty, how come Professor Oak is hugging my mom? And how come she's hugging him back?"

"Don't be so dense, Ash. Brock and I already told you – your mom is Professor Oak's girlfriend. And your mom told me so last night."

Ash's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "My mom told you…that she and Professor Oak were…?"

Misty nodded. "Oh, don't look so shocked, Ash. Sometimes two people who are friends – like your mom and Professor Oak – fall in love. It's not so strange once you think about it, you know."

It took Ash a few seconds for him to figure out the true meaning of Misty's words, but then he smiled and reached for her hand. "Yeah, Misty…you're right. It's not so weird after all – two friends falling in love. Come on, let's go have some breakfast. After all, we've got a big day ahead of us training our Goldeen." 

THE END


End file.
